Workman s time-recorder



(No Model.) 2Sheets-$heet 1.

M. M. ZELLERS.

WORKMANS TIME RECORDER. No. 508,461. Patented Nov.,14, 1,893.

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(No Model.) 7 2 SheetsSheet 2. M. M. ZELLERS. WORKMANS TIME RECORDER.

No. 508,461 Patented Nov. 14,1893.

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UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAHLON M. ZELLERS, OF KENT, OHIO.

WORKMANS' TIME-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,461, dated November14, 1893.

Application filed November .7, 1892. Serial No. 451,157. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

l 3e it known that I, MAHLoN M. ZELLERS, a citizen of the United States,residing, at Kent, in the county of Portage and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Recorders; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which 1t appertains to make and use the same. My nvention relatesto time recorders, and is designed more especially to keep the time ofemploys in shops, and the like, though it maybe used for other purposes,and the invention consists in the construction, combinatlon andarrangement of parts substantially as shown and described andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of myimproved machine, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof,taken on a line corresponding substantially to 00, m, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 isa transverse section on line y, y, Fig. 1, and a corresponding view inall details, substantially, would be afforded if the said cross-sectionwere taken on any other point of the revolving cylinder. Fig. 4 is aplan view of the sliding key lever and a fragment of the interiormechanism with which said lever is adapted to register, allsubstantially as here inafter more fully described. Fig. 5 shows an endsection of the paper timeslip, which is designed to be rolled upon therevolving cylinder shown in several of the figures, and upon which thetime record is made. Fig. 6 shows an end section ofthe said cylinder,and its construction to adapt the time slip' holder, shown in Fig. 7, tobe attached thereto, al1 as hereinafter fully described and set forth.Fig. 8 shows the gear connection between the clock and the cylinder.

A represents the cabinet or case which supports my invention, and isprovided with a suitable base a, and back a. This case is designed inastyle to give finish and beauty to the instrument as well as serving asa support therefor. r I i The invention comprises two separate sets ofmechanism which, however, are connected for conjoint operation. Thus, Ihave, first, a clock B with its usual dial and other essentherewith.

records for the time being.

tial elements for keeping time, and the usual clock mechanism behind thedial, which need not necessarily be shown in this connection. The otherand original mechanism is comprised in the revolving cylinder O, and theparts more immediately connected operated This cylinder is provided witha central shaft D,supported in needle bearings d at its end, so that thesaid cylinder may be turned with as little friction as possible. Apinion E is fixed upon the inner end of said shaft and is arranged tomesh with a'worm wheel F on a shaft G, which is operated by the clockmechanism. Hence,it follows that, when the clock is running, the saidshaft and cylinder will be turned and timed by the movement of theclock. The connection between the said cylinder and the said shaft issuch, however, that while they will revolve together when the clock isgoing, the cylinder may be turned upon the shaft by hand to set thecylinder to any time that may be desired. Usually the clock and cylinderwill be kept in corresponding time, so that, for example, when it isseven oclock in the morning, the time slip C on the cylinder will be inposition so that anyone coming in or going out at that time will recordtheir time exactly on the seven oclock point or line. ence of time hasbeen fixed by the person who has charge of the instrument, theinstrument is locked and cannot be tampered with and will not bedisturbed or changed during the day. The hours and fractions of hoursindi- When this correspondcat-ed by the clock have a correspondingimpression on the time slip down to five, ten or fifteen minutes, as maybe deemed desirable. These expressions or notations of time are made infigures or suitable characters. along What may be termed the ends of thetime slip if considered in its relation to the cylinder The linesrunning around the cylinder and indicated by figures 1, 2, 3, &c., inFig. 5, are the lines for the different persons or employs whose timeisto be kept, and they make their Thus, if No. 25 should appear and desireto record the time of his arrival, he would slide the key lever H to hisnumber on the number plate on the front of the machine and then depressthe key and make the record. This record would be made through thepuncturing needle h on the key lever H, and at the same time he wouldring the bell or gong K to give notice that the time has been recorded.A guard spring 71 protects the needle point h when the key is not inuse, and a short pivoted gravity finger 72- on the end of the keylever Hbears against the curved plate L when the puncturing occurs and pressesthe same back a sufficient distance, so that when the finger 71 passesthe said plate L, the said plate will be thrown forward against its stopZ by the spring Z, and cause the hammer Z to strike the bell and givethe desired alarm. The plate L extends the full length of the cylinder0, and is curved, as shown, to give the bell hammer sufficient throw tomake the required sound. Said plate is supported in suitable pivots atits ends and lower edge, as seen in Fig. 2, and a stop Z at one endlitnitsits forward movement. .Vhen the key lever drops to its normalposition, as seen in Fig. 3, the finger 71. likewise drops to theposition shown in said figure by reason of the superior gravity of itshead. Obviously, other means than those here shown between the key andbell may be substituted and be within the spirit of the invention. Thatis to say, instead of having the plate L as a bearing point for thefinger 72, into whatever position the key lever may be moved in respectto the cylinder, there might be something else substituted for saidplate to cause the bell to be rung, and so also of the finger 7L2.

In order that there need not be special precaution taken by the personwho wishes to record his time, to get the pointer 71. exactly upon thecenter of the figure denoting his number, I have provided a toothed rackM along the inside of the case in front of the cylinder and above thesaid key lever, and formed the same with teeth m,beveled laterally to apoint so as to leave space between any two teeth opposite thecorresponding number or figure on the indicating plate \l. Thenco-operating with this rack, is a tooth h on the key lever which isbeveled from its engaging point and adapted to pass between the teethwhen the key is depressed. If, therefore, the key lever be not broughtcarefully to the right center in the first place, it will be broughtthere by this means before the puncturing of the paper occurs, and thismakes it more easy and convenient to make the record right than it wouldbe without some such centering mechanism.

The cylinder 0 has a series of grooves a about its surface correspondingto the point where the puncturing needle strikes and to the numbers onthe index plateN at the front of the instrument, and the time slip isstretched over the cylinder with its number lines 0 corresponding tothese grooves or channels 0. Hence, when the puncturing needle strikesthe paper it enters one of these grooves or channels and leaves a cleanperforation, and at the same time is not injured by the stroke.

To secure the paper or time slip on the cylindex-,1 employ a pointedtooth c at each end thereof and a paper holder P. This holder has aspring portion 13 adapted to be sprung against the inner side of theprojecting rim of the cylinder, as seen in Fig. 2, and the said rim hasa notch or recess 0 adapted to receive the shank 2) of the holder P, sothat the top engaging portion 19 thereof may be brought down upon thepaper over the pin 0 which passes through the perforation p in theholder. The spring 1) exercises an inward tension and causes the part 19to bear firmly upon the paper and hold it in place,and, yet, theconstruction is such that the said holder P may be easily relieved fromthe paper to allow the same to be retnoved and a new time slip placed inthe cylinder.

It is designed that the cylinder C shall be inclosed, so that no one whois not authorized can enter the instrument and tamper with it, and bypreference a hinged glass cover Q is used for this purpose; thisdiscloses the cylinder and the operations inside but closes it againstoutside interference.

Among the advantages of this construction may be mentioned, especially,the use of a single key lever sliding on the rod or bar I, the wholelength of the cylinder 0, and serving for all to register with whetherthe numher be large or small. This saves the expense of a key for eachperson, and enables me to make a much more compact and simple machinethan would be possible with a multiplicity of keys. The key [I isnormally free to slide along the rod 1 to any desired posi' tion, andthe records can be rapidly and reliably made. The machine also, byreason of its small size and simplicity of construction, and itsconsequent cheapness, may be duplicated or multiplied in larger shopswhere workmen are on different floors or Where for any reason two ormore machines are desirable, and it can be used with no less advantagewhere only a fewpersons have reason to keep a time record, substantiallyas described.

In order that the time cylinder may be set to any time desired tocorrespond with the time of day denoted on the clock, and then held tobe rotated by the shaft D so as to keep time, the said cylinder islocked or held at its ends by sleeves or thimbles d having set screws (Zand at one end there is a dish shaped spring d between the said thimbleand the end of the cylinder. Usually I fasten the thimble at this endupon the shaft D in the place Where it is to remain, and as for thatmatter this particular thimble might be made rigid with the said shaftand serve the same purpose, and then I fasten the thimble d at the otherend as tightly'against the head of the cylinder as may be necessary tomake the desired friction engagement between said cylinder and thimbleand shaft to cause them all to rotate together. If the cylinder is to beturned independently of the shaft it can be turned without releasingeither of the thimbles or collars, and the said thimbles or collars maybe released to turn the cylinder, and then tighten it again just asoccasion may require. Obviously, there might be other'meaus adopted forthis purpose and I do not wish to be confined to the special means hereshown, but it will be remembered that the pinion E on'the shaft D isrigid therewith and meshes in a worm wheel, so that the said shaftcannot turn without the co-operation of the gear mechanism. This rendersit necessary that the cylinder should be movable independently of theshaft so as to adjust the time slips thereon with the time of day, asherein described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim-is 1. In a timerecorder, a revolving cylinder covered with a time slip and a rodparallel with said cylinder, in combination with a key lever pivotedbetween its ends on said rod and free to slide thereon and having apuncturing point at its inner end to pierce the said time slip,substantially as set forth.

2. In a time recorder, a cylinder having grooves at intervals betweenits ends and a time slip about the cylinder having characters runningconsecutively from end to end of the cylinder and corresponding to saidgrooves, in combination with a pivoted puncturing key lever, and asupport on which said lever is free to slide, substantially as setforth.

8. In a time recorder, the revolving time slip cylinder and a rodparallel to said cylinder forward of and below the same, in combinationwith a key lever pivoted between its ends on said rod and free to slidethereon and having its inner end extending beneath said cylinder andprovided with a puncturing point, and means to prevent said lever fromsliding on its support when puncturing occurs, substantially as setforth.

4. The machine herein described'having a time slip cylinder incombination with a key lever pivoted between its ends and having-apuncturing point h and a projection k on its top, and a notched plate Mwith which said projection 72, engages when registratiom is made,substantially as set forth.

5. Ina time recording machine, the time slip cylinder, the key leverconstructed to pivot and slide on its support. and having a movablefinger on its inner end, in combination with the longitudinally arrangedplate with which said finger engages when the key lever is depressed,and sounding mechanism actuated by said plate, substantially as setforth. j

6. "In the machine described, the time slip cylinder having a series ofgrooves and clock mechanism to turn said cylinder, in combination with apivoted and sliding key lever, a plate having a series of notchescorresponding to the grooves in said cylinder andaprojection on the keylever to-engage in said notches, substantially as set forth.

7. The main casing having a longitudinal opening at its front and anindex having consecutively arranged characters along said opening, arevolving cylinder having grooves matching said index characters and aplate havingnotches matchingsaid grooves and said index characters, incombination with a regis: tering key lever extending through the saidopening in the main casing and supported to slide and register at anygiven point between the ends of the said cylinder and constructed toengage in the said notched plate when registration occurs, substantiallyas set forth.

8. The machine described having a shaft for the time cylinder gearedwith actuating mechanism, the time cylinder on said shaft and adjustablerotarily to fix it with the time of day, and a time 'slip around thecylinder having time marks at the end of the cylinder, substantially asset forth.

9. In a time recording machine, a cylinder having a tooth on itsperiphery at its end, in combination with a spring clamp P for the timeslip constructed substantially as shown with a spring part beneath theedge of the cylinder and the part p" with a hole to engage over the saidtooth, substantially as set forth.

10. The time cylinder and the time slip about the same, in combinationwith a separate clamp fitting the end of the cylinder, said clamp havinga spring portion 1), and an overlapping portion 10 bearing upon the saidtime slip at theend of the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification.

MAHLON M. ZELLERS. Witnesses:

H. T. FISHER, GEORGIA SGHAEFFER.

